User blog:SPARTAN 119/Agnes Chevalier de Milan (Familiar of Zero) VS Yatorishino Igsem (Alderamin on the Sky)
Agnes Chevalier De Milan Agnès Chevalier de Milan is a character that first appears in the second season of the fantasy anime The Familiar of Zero. She is an inhabitant of the country of Tristain, on the continent of Halkegnia, part of a fantasy world at a roughly 17th century technology level, the world into which Saito Hiraga was summoned into in the previous season. Anies was born a non-magical "commoner", however, she has, unlike most of her class, gained noble status in spite of her lack of magical powers, due to her military prowess, with both melee weapons and firearms, a relatively new technology in Halkeginia Anies was born in the small village of Danguteal, until while she was still a child, the village was designated by a noble named Lord Richemont as being wiped out by a plague, and a group of fire mages were sent to burn it down. Anies was the only survivor, being rescued from the flames by an unknown rescuer. Anies later discovered the destruction of Danguteal was no accident- Richemont intended to wipe out the village- a center of dissent. This incident instilled a lifelong hatred of mages in Anies. The one exception was Henrietta, the princess and later queen of Tristain, who Anies is deeply loyal to, as she is the only noble who trusted her and valued her talent, in spite of her being a commoner. It was Henrietta that promoted Anies to commander of the musketeer unit and the royal guard. Anies first encounters Saito when she arrived at the Tristain Academy of Magic to recruit students into the military for a war against the country of Albion. Anies was sent to train the recruits in unarmed and melee combat, a method of fighting most of the young mages found pointless because of their powers. During this time, she also showed Saito a weakness in his own powers- his powers only enhance his skill with a purpose-built weapon, not an improvised weapon. Agnés later goes on to hunt the fire mages responsible for the burning of her village, and in so doing, manages to kill a magic-using noble and a incapacitate a second in single combat, in spite of having no such powers herself. Yatorishino Igsem Yatorishino "Yatori" Igsem is a major character in the Japanese novel and later manga and anime Alderamin on the Sky was the daughter of Solvenares Igsem, an expert swordsman and field marshall of the Katjvarna Empire, one of two main powers in the fantasy world of Alderamin. From an early age, Yatori was trained in fighting with a sabre and a dagger as an off-hand weapon, and by the time she turned 17, she became an expert with the weapon, and enrolled into the Empire's military academy along with her childhood friend Ikta Solork. Her military upbringing gave her a serious personality and strong sense of duty and loyalty. During the ride on a ship to the academy, Ikta and Yatori are stranded along with Torway Remeon, a cadet, expert marksman and son of a general; Matthew Tetridch, another cadet; Haroma Bekkel, a cadet in the medical corps; and a girl who turns out be the Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik, princess of the empire, on the shores of the Kioka Republic, currently at war with Katjvarna. Thanks to Ikta's unforeseen tactical brilliance, as well Yatori and Torway's combat skills, the six of them escape back to Katjvarna. After their escape, Yatori and Ikta are pitted against each other as platoon leaders in a mock battle at the academy. Ikta's tactical brilliance once again nearly secures his victory, however, the training session is interrupted by an assassination attempt on Chamille, who was viewing the battle. Yatori, Torway, and Ikta intervene and Yatori kills several of the attackers in close combat. For their actions Ikta and Yatori are knighted by the Emperor. =Weapons= Primary Melee Longsword (Agnes) The term "longsword" refers to a longer sword than the arming sword, while having the same basic shape of the arming sword, but having a length of up to about one and a half meters, designed more for thrusting, but still capable of cutting. The sword was used from the mid 1300s to the mid 1500s. The weapon was also known as a "hand and a half", as it can be used one or two handed. Sabre and Parrying Dagger (Yatori) Yatorishino Igsem favors the standard sword of the Katjavarna cavalry, a one-handed sabre about three feet in length. The saber or sabre is a type of single-edged curved sword often used on horseback. The weapon was widely used by European cavalry in the 16-19th centuries, though its roots date back to Middle-Eastern scimitars and the Turko-Mongol sabre. The weapon was intended to be used in downward slashing attacks from horseback, though it did have a point, and thus, some thrusting ability. Yatori's sabre has a round handguard with an attached knuckle guard to protect the hand. When on foot, she dual wields the weapon with her dagger, however, on horseback, she uses the blade alone. Yatori's secondary weapon is a left hand dagger with a single-edge, similar to a tanto, and an upside-down cup-shaped hand guard to protect the hand. Yatori uses this weapon both as a parrying dagger and to attack with her sword in the other hand, in a style similar to a combination Renaissance rapier fighting and sabre fighting, typically targeting gaps in armor, such as the neck, side of the torso, and the back of the leg. 119's Edge Yatori's Saber and dagger as the two weapons essentially allow the user to attack and defend at the same time, making it difficult to find an opening for an attack. Ranged Weapons Flintlock Musket (Agnes) The flintlock musket is a smoothbore long arm operated using the flint lock mechanism. The flintlock mechanism works by using a spring-loaded striker to strike a piece of flint, creating a spark. This spark ignites a small amount of gunpowder in a priming pan, which in turn fires off the main charge. The flintlock musket was the standard issue weapon for European soldiers for over 100 years from the late 1600s to the early 1800s, with weapons such as the British Brown Bess Musket and French Charleville gaining renown for their use in conflicts of the era. Flintlock muskets were finally replaced in the early 1800s by rifles- firearms with grooves drilled into the barrel, making the bullet spin for greater accuracy, and precussion weapons using a cap filled with mercury fulminate, a substance that explodes when struck, as an ignition mechanism. In Halkeginia, firearms have advanced to the point where flintlock weapons exist, however, they are not as widely used as their real-life counterparts due to the prevalence of magic on the battlefield. However, they are one of the few weapons that have the potential to even the odds of a non-magical commoner against a mage. The weapon can be presumed to have a maximum range of about 100 meters, and a rate of fire of no more than 2-3 rounds per minute, similar to a real-world musket. Crossbow (Yatori) As true firearms have not been invented in the world of Alderamin (only air guns which can be only used by those with an air spirit partner), the primary ranged weapon of those with any other form of spirit is a crossbow not unlike those used in the middle ages, with a stirrup at the front, presumably for drawing the bow, and a metal prod (bow arm). A crossbow consists of a bow mounted on a wooden stock, with a mechanical string holding and release mechanism. This design allows the crossbow to aimed more easily, allowing effective use with minimal training. This design also allows the bow to be held drawn and ready to fire for extended periods of time, and allows for the use of mechanical devices such as stirrups, levers, cranks, and windlasses to pulled back the string with greater force than with muscle power alone. The weapon can be presumed to have an effective range of about 100 meters, and a rate of fire of no more than 2-3 bolts per minute. It should be noted that, while Yatori has experience using a crossbow, as a soldier of the cavalry, she rarely does so. 119’s Edge Agnes Chevalier de Milan’s Flintlock Musket for its comparable range, as well as greater stopping power, as well as the fact that Agnes has more experience with her ranged weapon than Yatori does. Special Weapons Black Powder Grenade (Agnes) The Tristainian Musketeers are known to carry black powder grenades similar to those used by European armies in the 17th and 18th centuries. These devices consist of a metal ball with a gunpowder charge at the core. Lead shot or other shrapnel are often placed around the gunpowder charge to increase the fragmentation effect. The weapon was was activated by a simple fuse, which was lit before the grenade was thrown. These fuses, however, were dangerous, and would often detonate prematurely. This sense of danger meant grenadiers were often viewed as elite troops, with the word "grenadier" being used in the name of many military units, even after the use of black powder grenades was abandoned in the mid-to-late 18th century. Anies will have three grenades in the battle. Fire Spirit (Yatori) The “Four Great Spirits” are small sapient organisms of about 15 cm height in the manga and novel, but only a few centimeters in the anime (which is the size I will be using), which form symbiotic relationships with humans. The faith of Aldera believes them to be messengers of the gods, though it is implied that they are simply organisms like any other. “Spirits” possess one of four abilities, associated with the elements of fire, water, air, or light. Yatori is partnered with Shia, a fire spirit, which is shown to possess the ability to fire a jet of fire at a range of up to about two meters, similar to a miniature flamethrower. While this ability is rarely directly weaponized, and more often used for setting fires, it could potentially be used in an emergency. Fire spirits are also capable of igniting crossbow bolts fired by the user, for use as flaming bolts for setting fire to enemy structures. 119’s Edge While the fire spirit has multiple potential utilities, the grenade has far greater destructive power, and is more likely to score a kill. =X-Factors= Explanations In terms of training, both Agnes and Yatori are highly trained soldiers representing the best the armies of their respective nations have to offer. In terms of agility, Agnes is highly agile, proving capable of easily evading magic attacks from a skilled fire mage, before going in for the kill. Yatori, however, takes a slight a slight edge as she is capable of moving at practically superhuman speeds, allowing her to evade attacks by multiple opponents, block a crossbow bolt with a well-timed sword strike, or even keep up with someone using a “magitech” jet pack. In terms of combat experience, as a recent graduate from officer candidate school, Yatori has only been in the army a period of months, a year at most, she she has seen intense combat against a variety of foes, including a group of rebels, the fearsome Shinaak tribe of the Alfatra, assassins from the Kioka Republic, and the army of the Holy Empire of Aldera. Agnes has served longer and fought against two dangerous fire mages and killed both of them, in spite of being a non-magical commoner, and saw some action during the war with Albion, but she hasn’t the intensity of combat that Yatori has, hence Yatori getting the higher score. Both Agnes and Yatori and in very good physical condition, but Yatori appears to be slightly stronger. As for marksmanship, Yatori is trained in the use of a crossbow, but as a member of the cavalry, primarily fights with her sword. Agnes, on the other hand, is a musketeer specializing in the use of firearms. As a commoner who managed to gain noble status through martial status, she is probably one of the best shots with a musket in Tristain. =Notes= *The battle will take place in an abandoned village with a “17th century” look similar to those seen in Halkeginia, though not familiar to either side, with the leaders and five soldiers on each side. *The Yatori in this battle will be after the Alfatra campaign, while the Agnes will be at the end of the second season, and thus will have killed two skilled fire mages and served in the Tristain-Albion war. Battle Agnès Chevalier de Milan: '''Yatorishino "Yatori" Igsem: Agnes Chevalier de Milan lead a recon squad of five elite Tristainian Musketeers along the main road of an abandoned village, towards the main town square, having been sent to investigate reports of an unknown force attacking Tristainia patrols in the area. Little did the know, however, that they were being watched. For squad of Katjavarna soldiers led by Yatorishino Igsem lay in wait in the buildings on the other side of the square. Upon Yatori giving the order, six crossbows discharged with a "clack". Most of the bolts missed their mark, but two bolts struck home, one hitting a Tristainian in the chest, and the second right between the eyes. "Ambush!", Agnes yelled, "Take cover!". "Over there, in the Hall of the Founder!", one of the musketeers called out, pointing to a structure that an observer from Earth might describe as a "church". "Return fire!", Agnes ordered as she got up from behind the wagon and took aim at a Katjavarnan soldier in the tower of the Hall of the Founder and squeezed the trigger. Her musket discharged in a flash of fire and a cloud of smoke, striking her target in the center of the chest. If the bullet didn't kill him, the fall from tower to certainly did. Less than a second later, the rest of the musketeer squad fired, killing one more Katjavarnan. The remaining Katjavarnan soldiers retaliated with flaming crossbow bolts, several of them impacting the wooden crates and thatched houses that the Tristainians took cover behind. One of thatched houses which was ignited by the bolts had a piece of flaming debris fall right on a Tristainian grenadier taking cover inside the house, which instantly detonated her two black powder grenades. Thankfully, none of the other Tristainians were close enough to be killed in the blast. Realizing she had to get away from the rapidly spreading flames, and having no way to go but forward, Agnes ordered, "Grenades, into the windows!" Anies lit a black powder grenade, before she ran forward, evading incoming crossbow bolts by sheer dumb luck, and lobbed the iron sphere into the direction of the Hall of the Founder. Four of the crude explosive devices smashed through the stained glass windows and exploded within. The body of a Katjavarnan soldier was hurled through the window by the force of the blast, as a second was riddled with shrapnel. "Charge!" Agnes yelled, drawing her sword, rushing toward the Hall of Founder, now shrouded in black powder smoke. As they charged, one of the Tristainians fell forward, hit by a crossbow bolt from the defenders. With a flash of steel, Agnes blazed and the last surviving Tristainian Musketeer emerged from the smoke, entering the Hall of the Founder with swords drawn. A surprised Katjavarnan soldier tried to defend with their sabre, only for Agnes to evade the attack and run them through with her longsword. The other Tristainian swung her sword, only for it to be halted against Yatori's parrying dagger, before, in one fluid movement, Yatori made a cut that sliced the musketeer's throat. With a shout of rage, Agnes ran at Yatori, making at cut at her with met Yatori's sabre with a flash of steel. Yatori attempted to attack with her dagger, only for Agnes to evade the strike and retaliate with a swing that struck Yatori's had. The wound was only superficial, it hadn't severed any of her fingers, but the saber was knocked out of her hand. Agnes pressed her advantage, making a slash aimed at Yatori's through. Yatori parried Agnes's strike with her dagger as, with her other hand, Yatori pulled a small object out of her pocket. Agnes could not have predicted what would happen next- Yatori the small object turned out to be a small creature a few centimeters in height. "Shia!", Yatori yelled and, at her command, the creature fired a jet of flame at Agnes. As her vision was covered in flames and smoke, Agnes felt a sharp in her chest, as a fluid filled her throat. "It was blood", she realized as she collapsed to the floor from her wounds. As Agnes breathed her last, Yatori wiped off her blade on the clothing of a downed musketeer and left to report the battle to Katjavarnan command. '''WINNER: Yatorishino Igsem Expert's Opinion While Agnes has the superior long-range weapons, the experts believe that, in the end, this battle would come down to close-range combat, where the superior swordsmanship of Yatori and her Katjavarnan cavalrymen would come into its own. Another factor that contributed to Yatori's victory was her greater experience in close combat. To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here. Category:Blog posts